South Dakota Road Trip – Day 1

Posted on August 15, 2017

South Dakota has been on my bucket list for awhile, but I had no idea how much fun my South Dakota road trip was going to turn out to be.

Our trip started in Kansas City. On the drive north we went through Iowa and into Minnesota before heading west. We took 2 days to drive this part on the trip with overnight stays in Sioux City, Iowa and Lake Okoboji, Iowa. Traveling in our RV gave us the chance to take our time and stopped and see some friends along the way.

I was excited to finally cross the state line on Day 1 of our road trip through South Dakota. Sioux Falls was only 18 miles or so from the Minnesota border. Once we arrived in Sioux Falls we headed straight to Falls Park in the heart of the city.

The Falls were amazing . . . and beautiful! It was such a fun spot in the middle of the city. The 123 acre park showcases the Falls where an average of 7,400 gallons of water cascade over the rocks each second. It was an incredible site.

I took lots of photos and thoroughly enjoyed myself as we explored. The park includes an observation tower, a cafe and the remains of an old mill.

We took the time to go up in the five-story observation tower because I really wanted to see the Falls from a higher vantage point. I was really glad we did!

We would have liked to explore the downtown area of Sioux Falls, with its historic old buildings and sculpture walk, after visiting the park. However, the RV was just a little too big to navigate through the narrow city streets, especially while we were pulling a motorcycle trailer behind us. (I am already planning a trip back to see what we missed!)

After leaving Sioux Falls we headed west on I-90. We detoured slightly off course at the Montrose exit so we could visit the Porter Sculpture Park.

Quirky and hilarious are two good words to describe this park. I was looking forward to this stop, but I had no idea it would be such an impressive display.

Thankfully there was room in the parking area to pull the RV in and circle around. We did have to wait for quite a few cows to move off the road as we drove in. The road was gravel , so the RV and the motorcycle were a mess by the time we left, but is was still worth it!

It took an hour or so to walk around and see the 50 plus sculptures. The Bull Head Sculpture is 60 feet tall and has an opening in the back where you can actually go inside it.

The park is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Memorial Day through September 15th, with admission costing $8 for adults and $4 ages 13-17. Ages 12 and under is free.

Back on the road and heading west, we just had a short drive to reach Mitchell and the famous Corn Palace.

Every year since 1892 the Corn Palace is decorated with corn and husks in elaborate murals. The theme of the Corn Palace display during our visit was “The Rock of Ages”. The building featured a mural of Willy Nelson during our visit which seem pretty cool made of corn. I like art of all kinds and really enjoyed seeing this display of folk art created with 13 shades of corn and husks and other grains. It was truly a unique sight.

Our trip for the day was 167 miles. I loved taking our time and stopping wherever we wanted. To me, that is what makes for the perfect road trip!

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About Me

I spend most of my days traveling. The rest of my time is spent enjoying life and looking for ways to simplify it, have fun with it and be creative!
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